Boeing EC-135

The Boeing EC-135 is a retired family of command and control aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter. During the Cold War it was best known for the Looking Glass mission, in which one EC-135 was always airborne around the clock to serve as a flying command post for the Strategic Air Command in the event of nuclear war, while others sat on airborne and ground alert. At least 11 EC-135C command post aircraft supported the Commander in Chief of Strategic Air Command from several bases. Operations began in 1961 with the 34th Air Refueling Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, first using five EC-135As converted from KC-135As, until the dedicated EC-135Cs entered service in 1964. The last EC-135C was retired in 1998 and the EC-135N variant served as the tracking aircraft for the Apollo program. The Boeing E-6B Mercury replaced the EC-135C.